Improvement in car-starters



E. AMES.

`Car-Starters. No.4l7,088. Patemdreb.3.1a74.

1@lJNITEn STATES PATENT EEIcE EMERSON AMES, OF BALTIMOREIWIARYLAND,ASSIGNOE OF ONE-HALF IHS RIGHT TO JOSEPH C. TIFFANY, 'OFRO'RTSMQUTH,'NlVW-HNWIPSHIRE.

Y e615 i. 1 l .nl (Tarief IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,088, dated February3, 1874; application lllcd December 8, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMERSON AMES, ofBaltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Starters, of whichthe following is a specilication:

This invention has for its object to furnish simple and effectivemechanism for starting street-railway cars, through the agency of whichthe draft-animals are materially assisted and relieved from thedillicult and necessarily oft-repeated task of starting the car, astheinitial force is applied directly to the axles of the wheels forimparting a sufficient momentum to the ear to enable the draft-animalsto proceed with their burden with the greatest case and facility. Theinvention consists in locating upon the axles of the wheels anoscillating quadrant or curved arm, which is connected with thedraft-tongue or clevis, and carries a double pawl, operating, inconnection with a double ratchet keyed onto or made stationary on theaxle, in such a manner that, when the force of the draftanimals isapplied to the draft-tongue, the quadrantwill receive a vibratingmovement to cause the pawl carried by the same to engage with theratchet on the axle, which will effect a` quarter or nearly half arevolution of the same for over. coming the inert-ia of the car, and assoon as the pawl has reached its highest "point in respect to the axleit will be disengaged from the ratchet. The invention also consists incombining, with the quadrant or curved arm, a segmental head or pulley,which is grooved on its periphery, and is designed to receive a spiralspring, which is attached at one end to a ixed support or hanger mountedon the axle, and at its opposite end secured to the segmental head, theobject of said head and spring being to retract the quadrant when thecar has stopped, so as to throw the operative devices in gear. Theinvent-ion further consists in ex tending the spring-pawl in rear of itspivotpoint, andjn providing the saine with a stud or pin, which moves ina slot formed in the rear end of the quadrant, so that when the latterhas been turned to a sufficient extent for starting. the carthe pawlwill come in contact with a suitable stop applied to the car-body,

means hereinafter described.

so as to disengagc the pawl from the ratchet for preventing rattle andwear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of acar having my starting mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detachedplan view of the ratchet-and-pawl meehanism. Fig. 3 is a sectionaldetail view, showing the method of applying the ratchets andpawl-carrying quadrant to the axle. Fig. 4' is a detached side view ofthe quadrant, pawl, and segmental pulley or head.

The car-body A', axle B, and wheels C are of the usual construction, andneed no special description. On the central portion of the axle I locatetwo ratchet-disks, l) D, which are keyed to the same by means of pins aa passing through collars b b on the ratehets. Other suitable means may,however, be resorted to for firmly securing the ratchcts to the axle. Edesignates a quadrant or curved arm, which is formed with a hub portion,F, encircling the axle and loosely mounted upon the same, so as toenable it to receive a vibrating movement, for the object hereinafterspecified. 'Ihe hub F is of such a form as to form a segmental pulley,the lateral faces of which are recessed or provided with an edge rim,XV, so as to inclose the ratchet-disks, as shown in Fig. l. Theperiphery of' the quadrant E is grooved, and to its rear lower extremitythere is attached a cord or chain, G, which lits in the groove in thequadrant, and is attached at its forward end to the rear end of thelongitudinally-sliding draft bar or vpole H. To Jche quadrant, at itsjunction with the segmental pulley, there is pivotcd a double pawl, I,which' is extended in a rearward direction from its pivot-point, asshown. Then the draft is applied to the car, and the same is moving forward, the pawl is in the position illustrated by the dotted lines inFig. l-that is, it is disengaged from the ratchets by causing its frontend to assume an elevated position by the \Vhcn the motion of the car ischecked, the mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. l, the pawlbeing, however, not in contact with the ratchets, as provision must bemade for moving the car in a retrograde direction without rattling. Thepawl is held at a suitable distance from thc ratchet-teeth by causinglateral studs, at the l'orward end of the pawl, to rest upon inclinedsurfaces g, formed on the lateral arms of a hanger or yoke, K, mountedon the axle, and extending on opposite sides of the quadrant. rlhe rearhorizontal portion of said hanger bears or rests against a suitablestop-bar, Ii, applied to the car-body, as shown. In starting the car,the draft-pole is drawn forward, thus imparting a vibrating movement tothe quadrant, and causing the pawl to engage with the ratchets, whichwill effect a partial revolution of the car-axle. After the car is thusstarted, the draft will be comparatively light and easy, commensuratewith the power ot' the team. As soon as the quadrant has been moved to asufficient extent for starting the cars, the pawl carried by the same isdik engaged from the ratchets by means ot' a stop, d, on the car-body,as the pawl will., when the quadrant is turned forward, come in contactwith said stop, which will cause its rear end to be depressed and itsfront end to be elerated, thus disengaging the pawl for preventingrattlin g and wear. lhenever the team or car is checked, the quadrantwill be brought to its original position through the medium of a spiralspring, I), which is attached at one end to the hanger K, and at itsopposite end to the segmental pulley or hub. rIhe periphery oi' said.pulley being grooved, the spring is retained in proper .relation to thesaine, and will thus not be liable to slip ott'. Ihe pawl is maintainedin Contact with the ratchet, when in action, by means ot' a spring, Q,which bears upon the forward end of the pawl.

The starting device may be arranged at both ends ot the car, so as toenable the saine to be started from either end 5 but when a turn-tableis provided at the end of the route for changing the position of thecar, this duplication is not necessary.

My invention is also applicable to steam-railway cars or other analogouscarriages, and will be found most useful in making up trains in depots,sidings, &c., as will be obvious.

lhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. The oscillating quadrant E, formed with the recessed and groovedsegmental hub F, for the reception of the ratchet-wheels D, and carryingthe pivoted pawls I, in combination with the hanger K, cord or chain G,draft-pole II, and pin M, for disengaging the pawls from t-he ratchets,substantially as described.

2. rIhe hanger K, mounted on the axle, and haring one end of the springI) attached thereto, andthe opposite end attached tothe grooredsegmental hub Il of the quadrant E, all constructed and combined tooperate substantially as described.

o. The hanger K, mounted on the axle Il,

and having the inclined surfaces f/ g, for retainl ing the pawls I Jfromcontact with the ratchets D, in combination with the quadrant E, havinggrooved periphery, and grooved segmental hub F, all constructed tooperate substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my handthis l-lth day ot' November, 1873.

IY itnesses:

'.lrros. T. Kimrn, JNO. It. Tenn.

